Shattered
by Darksonickiller
Summary: One night was all it took to upturn the world Judy and Nick had. One Night where everything changed in a split second. One bad night, and their lives would never be the same. Will they survive, surviving?
1. Moments

Hey guys! i'm back with another fic! Its not as dark as the last one though! Credit for this goes to UtakuBeta

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Shattered Chapter 1: Moments

Judy Hopps looked out the window comfortable in her chair. The sun shone down, warming her to a comfortable degree, relaxing her. She gave contemplation to the events of the last few days. Everything had been such a blurr.

She thought about her life thus far. She had worked her tail off getting accepted into the police academy program. Even before the "mammal inclusion program" she knew her scores were the highest of anyone who had applied. She had been trying for two years before the was finally accepted! She had not been sitting idly by however, she had been getting a minor degree in law. She early on knew she would need to be capable of looking over legal and financial documents as well as enforcing the law.

Judy Hopps was the perfect cop. She joined the force for the right reasons. She was extremely intelligent and in better shape than most mammals on the force. She was compassionate and yet stern when she needed to be. Her hunches were often formed based on information and details others would overlook.

It was her intuition that led her to seek out one fox, her fox now, Nicholas P Wilde, on that very first case she strong armed herself into.

 _The party had gone late into the night. Judy had maybe drunk a little too much. Nick, as always, only had one drink. His favorite uncle had been killed by a drunk driver and he never over indulged at parties, only at home, and only when the car keys were locked away._

 _Judy loved to tease Nick about his old Fjord Jalopy, considering she didn't have a vehicle of her own. It was old, it made odd noises, the tires needed replacing, and a thousand other little things… Nick loved it only second to his mother and Judy. Judy loved it too, though she would never admit to it. So much of it was out of date and would never pass a modern safety test. But it was one of the few vehicles that could survive all biomes, and Nick loved driving it in the wild biome._

Judy blushed, recalling how impertinent she had been back then. The chief was right to be angry with her, of course. But she had been young and impatient, as many rabbits are, to show what she could do. She had wanted so badly to make a difference she had never seen the value of the meter hazing position, as it turned out it was referred to.

All new officers had to do it, and she had particular joy in making Nick suffer his 3 month tour as a meter fox. She smiled, blushing at that memory. They were seeing each other by this point. She loved seeing "her fox" in that meter maid vest… and only that vest. She would do the same and… ticket each other. She had to giggle, despite everything else that was going on, at those happy memories.

The night when Nick finally admitted to her how he felt, and she had confessed she felt the same… that night was had been, so far, the most magical in her life. More than anything she could have ever dreamed or read about. She was far from a virgin at that point in her life, of course, so she knew how to take precautions. She _was_ a rabbit after all, but Nick… Nick had been beyond her dreams… and hopeless that first night... And she didn't care.

 _They had gone to the ZPD party for Clawhauser and his new fiancee. It was being held in the, aptly named, Wild district. Some animals didn't like living in perfect climate controlled biomes, so the Wild district was the compromise and oddly, one of the most populated and diverse areas in the city. It rained when it rained, it shone when it shone, the snow came in the winter and the heat came in the summer._

Remembering the party made Judy's paws ball up, on her lap, grasping her legs. That night was the last night she felt happy. _She and Nick had half staggered to the car. Judy because she was drunk, Nick because Judy was constantly running into him. They laughed and waved goodbye to their friends and coworkers. Police were part of their family now._

 _Judy had sloshed into the chair and put her seatbelt on, then half fell on the bench seat giggling. "Nickey I love you" she said very drunkenly. "You are the cutest wootest, sweetest foxy woxy coppy evah!" She then giggled at her own silliness. Judy was often a happy drunk around her fox._

A tear fell onto her paw. She couldn't stop the memory from playing out once it started.

" _Yes Judy my love, you too;." Nick said, smiling at the drunk bunny… his bunny. He had fallen for her long before she had him._

More tears fell on Judy's paw. "Nick…" she whispered so low, even a fellow bunny would have had trouble hearing her.

" _I'm not a foxy woxy" Judy said giggling, looking up at her fox as he sat in the car, buckling his seatbelt._

" _Well at least you're buckled up" he said with a smile. Judy's expression then turned hungry and not for food._

" _That's the only thing buckled up on me right now Nicky" she said in a low tone as she slowly opened her blouse to expose her chest. Nick's mouth went dry for a moment, then he started the car._

" _Home... first… must... drive…" he said, trying to contain the growing tree in his pants. Seeing her work was done, Judy closed her blouse and giggled as she began to button it up back up._

'...If only I hadn't distracted him… maybe…' More tears fell, her cheeks were soaked with regret.

 _They drove for a small while, Nick had the windows rolled up because of the pouring rain. The windshield wipers squeaked for all they were worth, but the sudden burst of sky was more than they could handle. Judy was looking out the passenger side window, her buzz slowly fading and her senses beginning to return. They had been talking about the weather in the Wild biome and how nice it was. It reminded Judy of her home on the farm._

" _Nick" Judy said in a small voice. "Nick... I need to tell you something important" she continued, but between the pounding rain on the metal roof and the loud squeaking of the windshield wipers, Nick was having trouble hearing Judy._

" _Nick... this may be the last party I can have alcohol at for a while…" she said, stirring up her courage._

" _What's that hunny bunny?" Nick asked. They had just gotten the green at the stop light. As Nick slowly pulled into the intersection, Judy began._

" _Nicky I… LOOK OUT!" she screamed. They both saw the swerving lights. It was as though the car was trying to dodge the raindrops and didn't care how widely he swung the car. In that moment Judy knew they would never get out of the way in time. The adrenaline of the moment cleared her mind like crystal._

 _She immediately unbuckled her seatbelt. She knew that if she was caught by the door, she'd be crushed, likely worse. She turned towards Nick whose face was screwed up in concentration, his paw slamming on the gas, trying to power past the incoming ton of metal and death. The swerves were too wide and fast however and as the bumper began to carve its way into the car, Judy sprang._

 _It was as though time slowed to a crawl in Judy's mind. Her natural bunny speed in addition to her police training, and honed with her time on the force, made her the fastest cop on the corps. Her legs were her pride and they would save her once again, she knew it._

 _The bumper drove into the car like a hungry predator chewing into its prey. It tapped Judy and sent her flying in the direction she was already trying to go. She immediately rose her arms above her head to protect her from the imminent collision with the driver's side window. She locked eyes with Nick for a split second that felt like it lasted forever as she flew past him._

Her paws were soaked, she couldn't stop it. She couldn't stop the memory and she damned the universe for it. 'Oh Nicky!' she thought for the umpteenth time.

 _She flew through the window, safety glass shattering around her, some of it scratching deep into her arms as she flew through. The pain in her elbows was great, but nothing compared to if this had been the cruiser with it's BulletProof glass… however it wouldn't have crumpled from the impact either._

Time then sped up to normal in her mind. _She landed and bounced along the pavement until she slammed into a light pole in the middle of the intersection. She heard the pop. It was so clear every time she relived the moment...this moment of the end of her life. A moment later the car flew over her and she looked up in blurry pain she saw Nick… HER Nick in the car, surrounded by air bags. The other car was stopped, having transferred all its kinetic energy into the old Fjord Jalopy and sent it flying, rolling in the air._

 _It was a small miracle the car didn't land ON judy, crushing her, as opposed to flattening the light post above her and landing just behind on the meridian. Before she knew no more, she saw the figure of a fox with green highlights on his head and tail stagger out of the other car, the front demolished but the cabin left intact. The air bag having saved his life._

 _He looked at the wreck and ran into the shadows, his escape covered by the heavy burst of rain. A minute later the rain, the other fox and Judy's mind were gone._

Judy's mind stopped the merciless recording in her sharp memory. She was sobbing, wailing at this point. Nick was at her side, his right arm in a white sling, cooing and trying to comfort her. His good arm wrapped around his beloved rabbit. He kneeled before her wheelchair. Judy was inconsolable as she wrapped her arms tightly around her midsection.

Nick looked hopelessly out the window. They were on the 4th floor, of the paraplegic wing of Zootopia general. Outside the sun shone brightly, bringing hope and joy. Animals of all kinds were playing in the metro square below, going about their lives. Some happy, some sad, all oblivious to their personal hell. It made Nick sick..

That night didn't just take her legs.


	2. Good Deeds

Shattered Chapter 2: Good Deeds

" _Nicky wicky, my special foxy woxy coppy"_

The paw struck the heavy bag hard, making it jump a little.

" _That's the only think buckled on me tonight"_

His right foot struck the side of the bag making it jump to the left

 _I think this might be the last party I can drink at for a while_

His left foot struck the opposite side of the bag before it could finish moving from the first kick

 _Judy flying before him as the other car enters the passenger side_

"RAAAHHHHH" He roared, striking the bag several times with his right foot again in rapid succession.

 _The car flies through the air. As he looks down he sees Judy slammed into the pole, unconscious_

"GOD DAMN IT ALL" He struck the bag again and again with his left fist. The bag jumped with every hit, tears streaming down Nick's cheeks as that night played in his mind over and over.

 _He sees Judy lying there, lifeless, limp body next to the pole. He knows better than to move her but he has to cradle her in his arms, nuzzling her motionless form. Only her shallow breathing saves him from the insanity of maybe losing her._

"WHY?" Nick yelled at the bag.

He slammed his fist again into the heavy bag making it jump higher

'Why my judy?' Nick thought miserably.

 _He sees Judy lifted into the ambulance, the doors closing, the ambulance driving off, sirens blazing and getting lost in the new burst of rainfall._

He struck again, the practice gloves beginning to split.

"WHY THAT NIGHT!?" he roared.

" _I'm afraid she's paralyzed from the pelvis down. She'll never walk again."_

Nick spun and kicked the bag, sending it flying away from him.

" _Miscarriage"_

"WHY DID JUDY HAVE TO BE HURT?!" Nick bellowed at the heavy bag, his eyes scrunched closed, his uninjured fist tightly closed, his tail sticking straight behind him, fluffed in emotion.

"OOFFFF" The heavy bag, suspended from the ceiling, swung back and slammed into Nick as he was yelling at it, sending him flying backwards, landing on his back, thankfully not causing more damage. His right arm was in a sling, the lower part and paw in a cast. He was fortunate only the ulna bone had been broken that night.

Nick scrambled to his knees, coughing, trying to catch his breath, crying all the while. He slammed his fist into the floor mat in the ZPD gym. His tears ran down his face drenching his paw, still in a fist on the mat. "Our baby…" he said in a small voice.

Chief Bogo was standing in the door, watching his diminutive officer, who seemed even smaller at this moment. Bogo felt for the fox. Not only was Judy an outstanding officer, but a great mammal. Bogo had been just as surprised, not only that Judy had been pregnant, but that she'd had a miscarriage because of the accident. Bogo also knew that rabbits with Judy's active lifestyle had miscarriages often. It was a painful part of life.

"You do realize" the water buffalo began, "You're both lucky to even be alive, don't you?" Nick could only look up with misery on his face. "Your car was hit with enough force that if Judy had stayed in her seat you'd likely both be dead. First Judy from the impact, and you from her body being missiled into you." The chief pointed out coldly. He had hoped that would give Nick some solace.

"I… " Nick began, his voice low, rough, and scratchy from screaming. "I... I sped up… if I had..." He tried to argue but Bogo wouldn't have any of it.

"Nick, if you had stomped on the brakes, forensics shows you would have still been hit." He said with a little more bite in his voice than he meant. "In fact, it may have been a head on collision in which case NO ONE" He boomed the last part, trying and failing to hold in his own emotions on the situation, "would have survived, OFFICER Wilde!" He let the silence stand between them.

The use of Nick's title brought him back to the precinct, and away from the home of emotions the argument was heading to on an express train. Nick nodded, slowly reigning in his despair and painful emotions.

Nick pulled himself up to his feet, making sure not to use his broken right arm. "Thank you sir" he said quietly. "Any word on the driver yet?" He asked a little more professionally, having even given the chief of police, district 1 a rather crisp salute.

"Even if we did, I'm not telling you Officer Wilde." Bogo said firmly. "You are to stay away from this case." He said with finality. "You are too close to this case to be able to perform your duties dispassionately." Bogo finished.

"But sir!" Nick rebutted. "Sir, it's been over two weeks! I'm the best person to track down that son of a…" but Bogo cut him off with a glare and a sweeping motion of his hoof.

"Nick…" Bogo said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "What are you even doing here? Shouldn't you be at the hospital with Judy?" The chief asked with genuine concern.

"She's in therapy right now." and Nick couldn't help but smile. Any other mammal would still be in BED, let alone trying to learn to cope with their paralysis. His expression just as suddenly fell when he remembered why he was here. "And... I… " Nick looked up with new tears in his eyes "Sir, it's too painful to watch her constantly fail!" He admitted unexpectedly. "She is trying so hard but her legs are GONE sir… just.. Gone…" Nick drifted into silence.

"I... I know she can't stand for me or... Anyone to see her fail at anything." He paused, wincing at the unintentional pun before he continued. "You know Judy and this is killing her... So I come here to…" he drifted off and Bogo finished for him.

"Where you beat the hell out of the heavy bag, meant for rhinos, and let it beat you up." He said with dripping sarcasm. Nick chuckled at the truth and the chief joined him. A moment later the dark cloud was banished to the land of banality where it would stay for at least a little while.

"Come on Nick" Bogo said in a more friendly tone "there are animals here that haven't had a chance to see you up and about. Get a donut to take back to y…" Bogo stopped for a moment then shrugged. "Our first rabbit officer."

As always the donuts Clawhauser's fiancee had brought to the office were over the top and delicious… said fiancee was a chef at the bakery Clawhauser preferred… turned out that wasn't the only thing the large feline had a taste for.

Nick was in the middle of his second donut, (usually he only had one, but he needed the calories to heal with) when he heard a snippet of conversation he shouldn't have.

"Have you found out who the driver was?" A large panther asked the forensics wolf.

"Not exactly" The wolf said. They seemed to be discussing a case in the lobby, and the word "driver" set immediate alarms for Nick "We do however know it was a fox". This caused Nick's ears to perk up. He coughed as if on his donut and turned away, a technique that had helped him obtain information surreptitiously on the streets.

The two police officers sent Nick a quick glance, realizing perhaps they shouldn't be speaking about this particular case in the open… but both were good friends with Nick and Judy, and respected them both. Also the forensics wolf owed Nick some money from their last poker game, and he figured this might cover some of that debt. They turned their back and spoke to each other in not-quite whispers, but also in a way they knew Nick would be able to hear.

"Yeah, looks like the guy is a little shorter than a fox we know, and had dyed at least some of his fur green" the wolf continued and Nick's expression changed to shock and horror.

"That little shit…" Nick said quietly, nearly dropping his donut into his coffee which was perched on the front desk.

" _Hey man, what are you gonna do to me now?" the punk asked Officer Wwilde._

" _Oh... That depends…" Nick said. He saw too much of himself in this kid. The offense was simple shoplifting. Nick had the candy bar in paw already and was trying to decide if he should book or release the brat._

" _Oh?" the teenage fox asked "Like what? You lookin' to be paid off?" he asked with a very suggestive tone. That was, after all, how things were handled 'the fox way'. Nick snarled at the tTeenager. He hated 'the fox way' even when he was a hustler._

" _No, you little delinquent…" Nick began, and felt like the world's largest hypocrite… lecturing someone else about how they lived their life when he had already done so much questionable things in his own. "I'm going to give you a chance to unscrew up." He said after waiting a long enough moment to make the kid drop his ears, and swish his tail between his legs in worry._

" _I'm going to get you a job with someone I know." Nick said with finality. The boy was torn between emotions, so Nick cut him off. "I have a friend in the Tundra district that needs a errand boy. If you do good by him, and I DON'T hear bad things about you… I'll forget this ever happened." He finished, waving the candy bar over the kid's head._

" _Who says I need a job you old mutt?" The brat, named Franky, asked, not fully convincing Nick that he was actually excited about the prospect of regular paid work._

" _The fact that you stole the cheapest candy bar in the store, that's what." Nick said dryly, holding up the generic white packaging with only CHOCOLATE written on it. "And you know chocolate is bad for us K9s!" Nick added irritatingly. "Who were you gonna sell this to anyway?" Nick had already figured out the kid's hustle. It was a favorite of the young, and one Nick himself had done at this kid's age._

 _The hustle was you "found" a chocolate bar, preferably a cheap one since you are less likely to be chased for stealing a 35c chocolate bar than one worth 3 bucks, and then sell it to either an old wolf or someone who wasn't allowed to have treats, for a serious profit. In the end the most you could get was around 1.50, but that was enough to buy a real treat that was fox safe._

" _Look kid… I can see you have brains." Nick began his speech about being an upstanding citizen, breaking the mold for 'the fox way' and all that tripe he had gotten into the habit of saying now that he was a "respected member of the community." But stopped mid lecture and simply said. "Just go to the fishery in Tundra Town, ask for Koslov, and tell him Officer Nick Wilde sent you and that you need a job. He'll understand. Capiche?" He finished with._

 _He knew Koslov was less likely to get the kid into trouble than if he'd sent him to Mr. Big directly. Koslov had taken at least 3 youths Nick had sent to him and had managed to turn them all into at least legal working citizens. Nick could see the difference in the Nocturnal district already. It made him feel like he was helping his own. He figured the kid would end up the same: If not a outstanding person in the community… at least not another gutter punk… like Nick had been when Judy saved him._

Nick shook his head and growled. "That little punk… I'll…" but there was a strong paw on his left shoulder that shook him out of his anger. He looked up and saw, of all animals, Clawhauser standing there, looking worried and concerned.

"Nick… don't do anything stupid... Please just go see Judy. I'm sure she needs you about now." The large, fat, caring feline said. Nick was going to comment, then only shook his head.

"OK Claw... you're right." he conceded. It had been two hours since he left and he knew Judy would need a laugh about now.

Nick finished his own donut and coffee, took a carrot cake donut, and headed out. He might even grab a bouquet of flowers for Judy... the ones she loved to nibble on.

After Nick had left and was safely out of earshot, Benjamin Clawhauser turned on the two officers who had told Nick who the driver was. His paws were on his sizable hips and he glared at them so fiercely they both shrunk under his gaze. "How DARE you tell him who was responsible! You read his daily report. You KNOW that green haired fox was one he sent to Koslov to get helped!" Nick was many things, but since he'd become a police officer, a liar and hider of truth were no longer some of them.

Nick tended to put everything in his reports, including his acts of kindness. This had gotten him into and out of trouble more than once. In the end it was decided, because of the overall results, Koslov was an acceptable place to send delinquents to shape them up.

He paused in his rebuke to look back outside the front glass doors at the speck that was Officer Nicholas Wilde, the first fox police officer, and possibly future detective. He then snapped back at the two guilty animals. "So help me if anything happens to him because you two…" and he just fumed roaring at them. The entire station stopped and looked in shock at Clawhauser.

There were two truisms at Precinct one… never get between Clawhauser and a donut… and never piss him off if you valued your hide. 

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Chapter 2 of my new fic guys enjoy!


	3. Triumph and failure

Chapter 3: Triumph and failure

Judy sat on her chair in front of the hospital in the local park. It was a pleasant enough day. The sun was shining, only hiding behind the occasional cloud. There were children of all kinds playing in the vast grassy field doing this or that without a grown up care in the world. Judy looked at them and couldn't stop a small misting of her violet eyes.

She unconsciously rubbed the belly again. It hurt. Not physically of course, the miscarriage had happened almost immediately as she hit the pole, and she had been unconscious for almost 2 days afterwards. She had been only a couple weeks in, three at the most. But that's not what bothered her… it's that it bad been Nick's baby... Her… THEIR baby… and she wasn't sure if lightning would strike twice and make another pregnancy with him possible without medical intervention.

She was fortunate, she had been told, that how her spine was damaged, it only affected the nerves responsible for her legs. She was still able to use the bathroom when she wished and… other things. She simply could never walk or even crawl with her legs anymore.

She had spent the better part of the last 20 days learning how to get by with just her arm muscles. When she first woke from her coma the doctors thought they might be able to stimulate her legs. But the damage had ended up being too extensive. The nerves weren't completely destroyed, but they weren't working either. All she could feel was screaming pain. So in the end the doctors had been forced, with Nick's approval who had power of attorney in emergencies, as she did with him, to sever the nerves going to her legs.

After that, what little sensation she could feel between the rivers of lava coursing in her lower extremities, was completely numb. She had freaked out about it a week ago.

Judy caressed the bandages on her thighs where she had lost it while looking out the window onto the very field she was on today.

 _Judy looked at her legs. They just stayed there. She touched them and could feel the warmth of her blood traveling in her veins beneath her fur and skin, but only through her finger paws. Her legs felt nothing, nothing at all_

 _She put the blanket back over her legs. She looked back out the window, down at all those mammals with not a care in the world. They walked without thinking about it, they just did it. They felt the grass between their toes, on their foot pads on their legs. They felt the heat or cold._

 _But she didn't, couldn't feel anything She threw the blanket off her legs in anger, it flew a dozen feet from her chair. She pounded her thighs, demanding them to move, to twitch, to "FEEL dammit!" she swore under her breath at her disobedient appendages._

 _She dug her sharp lapine claws into her legs; nothing... nothing at all. She lifted her paws to see her own blood on her claws and screamed. She began digging into her legs, shedding the gentle gray fur, the outer layer of skin, the inner meat, before she could get to deeper muscle, fat and tissue, screaming, roaring "Why can't I feel anything?!" she felt the prick of a needle in her neck. A moment later she was out._

Judy sighed at the memory. This one was at least less painful and had a happy ending, she smirked to herself. She was made unconscious. All she knew was that she had Nick to thank for her merciful tranquilizing.

Her legs were stitched back together and bandaged with cloth that could resist even a bunny's extremely sharp claws. She had also gotten her claws trimmed to numbs. She felt oddly naked with such short claws. She had always had them as her backup for defense and now… nothing. She couldn't even cut a piece of paper with them they were filed to be so smooth and dull.

An hour later she was tired of waiting for Nick, so she wheeled herself to the pub next to the hospital.

A few minutes after that, Judy found herself at a size appropriate table with a basket of battered, deep fried sticks of assorted vegetable and a carrot Jello Shooter, which she found very agreeable.

Two hours after he was supposed to arrive to take Judy Home, Nick found her in the pub next to the hospital, drunker than any mammal Nick had seen in ages. It was certainly more than he had ever seen Judy drink.

On the table was the remnants of the deep fried veggies and 5 carrot jello chasers. Judy wasn't even trying to hold back. She was pissed in both senses. Nick was secretly grateful she had retained bowel control of it might have been a trifecta of pissed.

It was Nick's understanding from a short conversation he'd had with the bartender when he arrived that some drunk jerk had stepped on Judy's wheelchair. The patron had long since gone or Nick might have had words… and fists with him. As it stood he was already horribly late to pick up Judy, who wasn't supposed to be left unsupervised.

Nick's second relief, among many, was that the bartender had an agreement with the hospital to keep an eye on all patients that wander in. He explained he tried to cut Judy off at two shots, but the death glare, in addition to WHY she was so piss drunk forced his paw. The bill was on Nick's tab of course, the bartender explained. "If you weren't such an ass in being here so late, I might have billed it to the hospital." he had said with contained fury at Nick.

Nick could only nod meekly, His ears down, his tail between his legs. He had paid Judy's bill gladly, and left a sizable tip in gratitude. The bartender sighed and gave him something to give Judy to help her with the hangover.

Nick walked over to the damaged wheelchair. After a minute, he managed to get it somewhat functional… then it fell completely apart. The offending foot had apparently belonged to a rhino. He heard a derisive snort and turned to see Judy looking murderous daggers at him.

"Where" She slurred, but still managed to make Nick's spine chill from dread and fear. "The hell, havth you beethnn n n … waaar were yuuthh" She slurred, paused, and tried again failing harder. So she just glared some more at Nick. She was furious. More than that… she was hurt.

"I.. I called your cell" Nick said, just as at that moment Judy's cell phone vibrated with a text message and a note about a missed call. Judy looked down at her phone, squinted then looked back up, holding the cell phone. The time stamp was 15 minutes previous. The implication was clear.

Nick sighed, not trying to hide anything from his partner… now he was afraid how much or lack there of a partner right now. "I was in Tundra town cha…" but Judy cut him off.

"Yes.. tunda towwn. Howth flanky?" she asked coldly looking at the fox… 'was he still my fox?' she wondered, not for the first time today. Then she saw the utter misery in his face. The drunken, bitter, vicious side of her smiled and pressed on. She wanted to twist the knife as deep as she could. She wanted, NEEDED to strike out at someone.. Why not Nick? A tiny voice said 'because he is your fox'.

"Yethh I nooo about flanky!" She slurred then paused, preparing the knife. "I know you Let him GO a few days before...:" she said, her words clearer, sharper like knives. Her slurring was less evident. She was going to make sure he felt this. "It's YOUR FUCKING FAULT!" she screamed at him, tears welling up. "Your.. fault I'm.. im.." 'useless' she couldn't bring herself to say it out loud.

Nick heard her thoughts in a way. He understood. He held the drink the bartender gave him in his bad paw. He held it as tightly as his injury and the forearm cast would allow. He found out a lot about Franky, and none of it was good.

Judy, seeing the drink in Nick's bad paw Judy took it and drank it in one go. She stuck out her tongue as it tasted foul. A moment later she was asking Nick for help to the restroom.

"Which end?" Nick asked, concern in his eyes as he carried his rabbit to the ladies room. Judy had meant to be sharp with him but paused. That was actually a good question. She pondered, then felt the rumbling in her intestine. "Lower" they both said at once, as Nick took her hurriedly into the Rabbit sized stall, and began helping her out of her pants.

Nick then blushed, and closed his eyes. "Tell me when…" he then felt a paw on his chin and another on his cheeks.

"Nicky.. It's ok. You of all animals are allowed to look." Just said a moment before she started making noises… and smells, that no "lady" should be seen making. Nick faced away from Judy, paw waving furiously before his nose as he leaned against the stall door.

Judy, despite how angry she was with Nick couldn't help but giggle. She laughed so hard she finished her movement in record time and then nearly fell off the toilet, not having functional legs to help her retain balance. However, Nick was there in an instant. He'd heard her begin to slide and was there for her. He helped her wipe and clean. He then took a moment to clean his paws. And then he carried her back to their table.

"Thank you Nick" Judy said quietly. Looking away from Nick. "I just.. It's just that…" she paused. Nick's first instinct was to make a remark about the smell, or the view, or everything else he saw.. But didn't. He already felt low enough for making Judy wait so long for him today. Then he banged his head hard on the table remembering what day was today.

He felt her soft paws against his ears. Those paws he could feel for the rest of eternity. He then cried and spoke into the table "I'm so sorry Judy" He then felt a slap to the back of his head.

"Just tell me what you found out you dumb fox." She said sharply, but with a warmth that filled his soul. "You have information I need… want to know. We can compare notes from that weasel.. Ok?" she said, offering an olive branch.

The drink the bartender had given to Judy was one developed to clear toxins from the body, specifically alcohol. It had the unfortunate effect of sending one to the bathroom. He also knew if they loved each other as much as the rumors said… they would do exactly what happened.

The Tiger smiled when the impossible pair left, She was back in her damaged wheelchair. Nick had managed to finagle it back to working, semi safe condition.

An hour later they were at Nick's apartment. Judy was tenuously wheeling around, unsure about the stability of her only mode of transportation. Nick had gone off into another room looking for "something great". Judy had only rolled her eyes and found herself in the kitchen. She saw a package of rabbit crisps… dried and crispy carrots. Her heart melted. Nick was not a huge fan of carrots, so they were obviously for her.

Judy's stomach rumbled and she realized her trip to the bathroom two hours ago had relieved her of more than just alcohol.. But her entire "dinner". She decided she'd get the crisps herself. She would do this one thing and prove to herself she could.

Judy found herself on the floor. Her hands hurt from the impact. She tried to lock her wheelchair and when she attempted to lean her body forward to get onto the counter, it slipped behind her, sending her uncontrollably forward, smacking her face and paws against the cupboard door and then slid down onto the cold floor.

Judy swore several rather nasty rabbit based oaths before looking up, tears filling her eyes. It was such a simple thing yet she'd have to ask Nick for help to do it. She swore again "no dammit" she said quietly, looking up at the package of crisps with defiance. "I'll do this! Like I've always done. I'll find a way dammit!"

She then realized her claws were just nubs… that left out brute force. And she recalled the exercises she had been doing in rehabilitation. Breathing deeply, closing her eyes and envisioning her path, Judy Hopps, using just her arms and upper body strength and balance managed to swing, vault, and finally land on the top shelf where the crisps were.

She held them up in success. "Victory is mine!" Unfortunately her victory pose threw her off balance and she fell face first towards the floor. She saw the wheelchair and did her best to twist in the air. She was unsuccessful. But then she felt his paw on her midsection twisting, spinning her in the air. She landed in the chair, more of a bounce really, which then started collapsing, rolling back and sending her again vaulting face first into the cabinet door and finally landing, sitting on her knees awkwardly numb.

Her nose was bleeding and it was too much. This last failure was too much and she began crying, blood, tears and snot mixing into a reddish, disgusting mess onto her knees and she didn't care. She didn't care about anything. She sat there for a minute, eyes closed waiting, banging her fists onto the cupboard before had, damning the universe, the cupboard, that little shit franky, and … she paused. And then she finally screamed "WHY CAN'T I HATE YOU NICK!? THIS IS ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULT!" She screamed so loud she hurt her voice.

She could hear her screams in the silence and a moment later she felt fabric against her nose, wiping away the snot and blood. Her eyes snapped open and she turned and saw Nick on his knees, sitting on his heels wiping the mess from her nose silently. Then she saw the pain, the infinite rivers of pain in his eyes. The tears welling up that he tried to valiantly to hide.

Neither of them spoke as Nick cleaned up his bunny's face and nose. He managed to stem the blood flow, and grabbed for another handkerchief to clean up her clothes and the mess on the floor. He said nothing, all the while he held in his broken paw a bag of crisps. She realized the first handkerchief was actually the sling that had been holding his right paw passive. He had clearly torn it when trying to help her as she was falling.

She then recalled an odd sensation when she was falling, It was Nick. He had used his good arm to twist her in the air so that she'd fall onto the chair, while he ripped his sling swinging his right arm out to grab the bag of crisps to stop them from hitting the ground. She saw him wince and realized he must be in howling pain.

"My Hero." She said quietly at last in a sore, torn voice. Nick stopped and blinked, several tears formed and fell from his eyes from the collecting mist.

He could only offer the crisps. His arm and his heart, hurt to much, he knew he might either scream in pain, or break down crying… again.

Judy took the package of undamaged carrot crisps and put them gently down. She then grabbed his shirt violently and before Nick could react she pulled him into a hard, passionate kiss.

The crisps forgotten as Nick's door opened. Her parents had arrived just in time to see their daughter 'attacked' by a fox, making her nose bleed.

Stu was about to make himself a new fox-fur coat.


	4. Reasons

Chapter 4: Reasons

Nick had never felt a grip as strong as Stu's was on his shoulder. He had been glad handed by all kinds of animals, and this bunny farmer had the strongest, and most fearful Nick had ever felt. A moment later he found himself flung across his own apartment through his own bedroom door, only to land on his bed. Neither his paws nor his tail touched the ground, the entire flight.

Nick knew he was in serious trouble, but he wasn't sure what for. They knew Judy was staying in his apartment. It was exactly 3 weeks since the accident, and it took them that long to arrange sitters for all the kids. They just happened to come in when … he and judy had been… kissing… and her nose was bleeding from the fall.

Nick let out a groan and he sat up in bed, careful not to use his bad paw. He just then remembered a random thing Judy mentioned about her father… He was a champion level thumper. Thumping was rabbit boxing and her father, before he took up farming reluctantly, was a solid bronze. He never ranked lower or higher than 3rd… but he ALWAYS had third ranking. Nick understood what that meant. First and second change all the time, but for someone to hold their rank for as many seasons as Stu had… "crap" Nick said quietly.

"Yer right about that Nick…" Stu said as he stormed into the room. Nick had met him several times, but he had never seen Stu this… dangerous. It was as if the roles were reversed, and Nick was the helpless prey and Stu Hopps was the big, bad predator. Nick would have laughed if he hadn't been so terrified. Stu carefully closed the door and turned the lock with an ominous *click*. Nick gulped.

"Stu now… I can see why you might thi..URK" Nick tried to say something smooth but Stu's paw was fast, really fast and strong. He was a farmer after all, and farmers have strong paws… especially ones that burrow. Stu had Nick's throat and was squeezing it to the point of making Nick pass out.

"Listen Nick" Stu said in that same dangerous tone. And Nick noticed Stu said Nick, not fox, mutt, dog, or any other derogatory term for a K9 species. That made Nick relax a little and look Stu in the face, eyes wide. "You better have a good reason for why my little kitten's nose was bleeding and what your mouth was doing around her's like that!" Stu said, but Nick felt the iron grip of the older bunny relax a little as Stu figured out at least what they were doing.

"She… accident, face… door…" Nick stammered through the death grip.

"What? I can hardly understand you Nick." Stu said a little less murderous and let nick drop to his knees.

With a massive gasp of air, Nick rubbed his throat with his good paw and sat on the floor. He was too shaky to stand. "I said… She fell from the top of the cupboard getting those carrot crisps. I wasn't in the room and…" Nick started to tear up. "I… I tried to catch her.. I...did what I could…" Nick said as he began to break down. The moment finally caught up to him… he failed to catch.. To save Judy… again. "Sh..sh.. She fell an.. And I…." he said shaking now. The breakdown he'd been expecting since the accident finally happening here.. In his room… with Judy's father present. It was hardly the optimal place.

Stu placed his arms around Nick, cooing gently. 'Maybe it was the perfect place' Nick thought. Nick turned and wrapped his arms around Stu and finally broke down completely. He lost track of time and space. He hadn't felt a fatherly hug since …. It had been a very long time and now, when he needed his father most, there was this Bunny. The father of the female Nick loved above all others.

"I failed daddy" Nick said in a small child;'s voice into his new surrogate father's shoulder, drenching it in tears. "I failed the woman love!" he said squeezing Stu tighter with emotion. Stu began to worry a little, but was able to accept it. He wasn't a wilting daisy, he was a strong birch. He could handle Nick's grasp… and it seemed to him Nick needed this.

"She flew in front of me... ! saw her… I could have grabbed her I could have saved her back and I FAILED!" He wailed Nick hating himself ever since that night. He had always wondered if he could have saved Judy. He saw her there in front of him. "I wasn't fast enough to save her!" Nick said, pounding his left paw into the ground hard.

"And today.. Son?" Stu said, accepting one more kitten into his heart. 'Why not I have so many children already, what's one more?' he mused and gently rocked Nick.

" .. She fell… I couldn't hold her.. M.m. paw is bad and.. All I c-c-could do was…" he paused and looked up and saw Stu for the first time. "I… I flipped her so she'd land on the chair.. But the wheels…" he said steadier. His normal nickishness slowly returning. She landed in the chair, but it slipped and threw her forward into the cupboard door and…" Nick began crying again. "I caught the stupid crisps though." he said before breaking down on Stu again.

Stu sighed. He liked Nick, and he understood this boy's pain. But it was time to return him to reality as much as Stu felt bad doing so. Stu slapped Nick across the maw. Not enough to actually hurt him but to get his attention.

Nick immediately stopped crying and looked at Stu in shock and surprise.

"Nick…" He said slowly, standing above Nick like a towering presence. Stu had decided he'd put on his old thumping persona, one more time. "Is my daughter hurt directly because of you?" Stu asked in a tone that promised pain for a lie.

"Y…" Nick paused when he saw Stu's strong paw twitch. Nick for the first time in three weeks actually thought about things. Yes, he had let the kid go, but he had done that to lots of kids. He had no way of knowing things at Kaslov's would go so wrong, with Kaslov's track record. He was not responsible for missing Carrots, as much as he hated to admit it. He was only a fox. He wasn't Super Mammal like in the comics. He could only move so fast and the moment was only slow in his mind… he really couldn't do anything to stop Judy. in fact, he finally pieced together, if by some freak accident he HAD been able to catch her… she might have been even more gravely hurt.

He did what he could to catch her earlier. It also sunk in… Stu was calling him Nick, even now. Not boy. Nick looked up at Stu, his back straightening up and answered honestly, as much as it hurt. "No, sir." he said at last. "No… I have never directly hurt your daughter, not today, not then, not ever. I… I have only done my best to look after her, even during the Howler case" and he drifted off for a moment.

"Our baby…" Nick began but Stu slapped him again with the back of his paw faster than Nick could blink.

"Nick… Do you have any idea how many miscarriages Bonnie has had?" Stu asked, a mixture of anger and deep sadness in his face. "We have lost a dozen partial litters and… and… a complete litter more than once." Stu paused and his eyes began tearing up. "There's a reason why we don't have a 'Q' litter. That was the last one. I… got fixed after that. We… We lost the entire brood, and Bonnie almost didn't make it." Stu said quietly.

Stu then regained himself and stood up straight again, his thumping presence clear to Nick who had finally composed himself enough to truly understand what the elder bunny was telling him. Nick nodded slowly. "I… I'm sorry Stu" Nick said quietly.

Stu smiled between the tears and walked over to Nick, his persona banished back to the past. This was Judy's over emotional father again. He patted Nick on the back, rather hard, and said "It's ok if you want to call me dad… darn near everyone does anyway." Nick smiled and felt a deep warmth. "Let's go, the girls are probably afraid we're killing each other in here". Stu said jokingly, picking up a tissue from a bax and blowing his nose.

"No we're not!" Bonnie's disembodied voice came from the door.

Later that night they were sitting together on the couch, watching a bad movie on TV. it was unsure how much popcorn had been thrown as the screen by the two of them from the rather large bucket Nick had made and how much the pair had eaten. Judy's parents had long since gone back to their hotel after assurances by both Nick and Judy that they would take care of each other.

Judy was leaning against Nick, her useless legs on the couch, so at first glance she looked normal. She slid a paw on Nick's chest, his casted arm around her loosely, they were both in underwear, and looked up at him. "Nick…" she began and Nick grunted, tossing popcorn at the screen again. "Nick I…" she said again and paused. Hearing the seriousness in his bunny's voice Nick turned off the TV and looked directly into her beautiful violet eyes.

"Nick… Did you…" Judy asked and hesitated again. It was hard to ask because of the fight earlier, but she needed to know, as a police officer and jr detective, she had to know. "Nick" she said at last repeating herself yet again. "Did you find him?" she asked finally.

"Yes" Nick said, staring at the blank screen. "I have good information where he lives, what he's doing and the like." Nick said almost flatly.

"And?" Judy asked. She knew Nick… she knew herself. Either one of them would have done anything to protect the other and she knew Nick was hurting terribly from the events.

Nick took in a hugh breath and let out a very long sigh before answering with a tone that chilled Judy's spine. "I'm going to find him" was all he said and Judy nodded. She wasn't going to stop him, she wasn't going to dissuade him from doing this. She knew morally it might be wrong but… she was the goddaughter to THE mob boss in Zootopia's daughter. She lived in the gray area. She only nodded and rested her head against Nick's chest, her paw teasingly caressing him, his broken hand lightly returning the gesture.

It was intimacy they had not had in a long time. It was simple, basic and quiet. The perfect kind.

The morning came and Nick carried Judy down to the bistro below his apartment. They enjoyed a light and oddly vegan breakfast - often they'd split the difference and eggs would occasionally grace Nick's plate. But today it was pastries and coffee. They talked about their injuries and nothing, but both knew what today was, and what was likely to happen. They wanted at least one last normal meal together.

Nick then carried Judy to the hospital where she was given a new chair. "Yep[, not the first time a Rhino, or elephant or some damned monster has stepped on a chair thoughtlessly" The intern said. "Glad you weren't in it this time." He added with a wink.

Nick turned to go and he felt Judy's paw grabbing him. Nick turned around to see an amazing sight. Judy was offering him a small tranq gun. It was based on the design that Bellwether had used for the NightHowler gun. It was loaded with 3 tranqs strong enough to take down a buffalo. It would certainly work on a juvenile fox.

A couple hours later Nick was starting to wonder if he'd lost his edge. He used to know everyone, and as a cop he'd managed to stay in most animals' good graces. But today he couldn't find a sandwich let alone a green haired fox. He finally got a break with an old florist Nick had always bought flowers from even if he didn't need.. Or like, them.

"Hello Nicky" The old vixen said, smiling when she saw her favorite non-customer. She had always known what he did was out of generosity, even if he would never admit it. "What can I get for…" her expression fell when she saw Nick's arm in a sling. "Oh Nicky what happened?" She asked motherly.

"I got hit by a drunk driver" Nick said simply. "My g.. Partner was paralyzed from the waist down. Her legs are useless." Nick was tired. He'd been all over the area and found no assistance. He was too tired and frustrated to play it sly with the old vixen. Especially since she taught him several of his tricks. He had actually come to get flowers for Judy this time.

"You… you know who don't you?" She asked, wrapping up some flowers known to be medicinal and tasty to bunnies". Everyone knew about Nick and Judy, even if the two tried desperately to hide it. She honestly approved. Judy as feisty or more so than any vixen Nick could have landed.

Nick nodded. "Franky." Nick said plainly.

"A...are you sure it's him?" the old vixen started. "After all, all us..." she started to say 'all us foxes look the same' but she knew a fellow fox, exen a police officer like Nick, would never buy that… especially not Nick.

"He has green highlights". Nick added not quite forcefully. He liked this old vixen. They had a long history. But he knew who her grandson was.

She finally sighed a long defeated sigh after a couple minutes of fidgeting around the store. Nick was patient. Finally she walked up to Nick and said "He's behind the old bookstore." She said quickly and quietly, gently touching Nick's hurt paw with her own. "I know you tried to help him. Lady Marion knows I've tried."Nick listened, she needed to vent he knew. "My grandson has been trouble since his father abandoned his mother. And when she died last year…" she trailed off. She looked up with fierce green eyes.

"You take the justice of Robin to him Nicholas P Wilde!" She said fiercely. "You show him that what he did.. The kind of gratitude" and she spit into a planter "he has shown you is unacceptable!" She growled. "You tried to help him and he.. He…" and she began to lose steam, her paws gesturing to Nick's arm.

"Do you still live in that dump above that pray bistro?" She said suddenly changing topics. Nick accepted the chance and only said "Yes I do. They have changed owners and make a wonderful quiche."

"Good. I'll send the flowers there… you have a little punk to apprehend." the old vixen said viciously. "May Robin and Marion go with you and guide your paw." She said reverently. She was a believer in the old Robin Hood Legends, as the sly fox was the patron saint for an otherwise looked down upon species. Nick nodded, then disappeared in a flash to the old bookstore.

Franky had been hiding for weeks. He was scared to death. He knew that Nick Wilde had favors that owed him favors. His girlfriend, that bunny cop, was the goddaughter of Mister Big's freakin granddaughter! Frankey knew he was in it deep. Thankfully he had avoided all of Nick's favors. The wild district was a great place to hideout. Most mammals here didn't want trouble so they tended to turn a blind eye on punks like him. He'd been keeping lo at his grandmother's place. Helping in the backroom and trying to be the good grandson he wasn't.

It had given him time to reflect on his life and he found he wasn't happy with it. He hadn't meant to upset Mr. Kaslov. He was just so high that he wasn't thinking straight.. Which was the point. He hadn't even realized he was in that car when it hit Nick and Judy's. He saw who it was and ran. But he was tired of running. He knew Nick was in town ad likely looking for him, and Franky was tired of running.

"Why am I such a fucking screw up!?" Franky cursed, punching a dumpster as hard as he could with his fist. It stung like hell… and he liked it. "I deserve to hurt" and he punched it again with his other paw. Left, right, left, he punched the bin, hurting his fists, tears spilling in regret for his actions.

"I can't answer that for you boy" A strong, male vulpine voice said calmly. Franky's soul froze. He turned to see Nicholas P Wilde at the entrance of the alley. He stood there like a visage of justice, vengeance.. And death. The sun was beginning to set behind him, hiding Nick's features in shadows.

Franky was paralyzed with fear. Where Nick's eyes should have been he only saw two glowing slits of red. Nick walked closer, sure, strong and menacing. His right paw was in a cast and hold in a slig. He left… In Nick's left paw he held a dart gun and it was aimed at Franky's head. If you hit the right spot, even a dart gun at point blank could kill, and Nick was much closer than point blank range.

"I gave you a chance.. A job, a way out of the gutters." Nick snarled as he got closer, his arm never wavering, never shaking, still as death. He held his aim on vital parts on Franky's head and neck. "I have always been good towards your grandmother, and this…" he said quietly, looking at his arm, and thinking of Judy before the rage took over.

"THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY MY KINDNESS YOU LITTLE FUCKING SHIT?!" Nick roared, squeezing the trigger in his rage. But his arm shook and the capsule missed Franky and exploded on the dumpster shooting tranquilized juice everywhere including a small amount into Franky's mouth. "I GAVE YOU A WAY OUT!" Nick roared again, his casted paw balling up into a fist, causing Nick great pain.

"YOU PARALYZED MY MATE YOU FUCKING SCUMBAG!" He screamed, firing another pellet, whizzing past Franky's head. If it had hit, it would have been in his eye. If the amount hadn't killed him it certainly would have blinded him

"YOU KILLED MY BABY!" Nick's gun was inches away from Frankys face. "That night… " Nick began, tears starting to form, seeing that Franky wasn't going to fight him. "Judy was pregnant, and the accident…" Nick couldn't stop the tears and Franky's resolve to get away evaporated. He had killed. It didn't matter that it was circumstantial, and a side effect. That miscarriages happen. To Franky he was a murderer.

"I … I should die" Franky said, his shoulders falling. Nick was too angry to think and took him up on the offer.

Nick threw down his gun and drove his left paw into franky's gut, making him bend over. He followed up with hi right knee into Franky's face sending the younger fox's head soaring up into the air. Nick spun in place and slammed his right foot paw into Franky's body sending him flying into the wall at the end of the alley. Nick stalked forward, the claws on his left paw out, his fangs bared, He planned to rip the boy's throat out, shred his chest, and destroy his ribcage. He would crush the boy's windpipe… and Nick stopped.

'The boy' he thought. 'That's how I refer to him…' he looked down at the heap that was Franky. He was whimpering, and curling into a ball, but not trying to go anywhere. 'Franky is just a boy… a kitten.' Nick realized finally. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed the emergency button. It would bring a squad car and an ambulance immediately.

'Enough children had been hurt in this case.' Nick thought morosely, and sat down next to the kit he'd just pummeled. 'I sense a ass chewing or three in my near future' Nick thought and laughed to himself, trying to calm Franky as they waited for the ambulance.

Franky just kept whimpering and whispering over and over. "Please just kill me" but Nick had had enough. Instead of anger and hate, Nick just felt pity, sympathy, sadness and guilt.


	5. Moving on

Shattered Chapter 5 Moving on

A week later Nick and Judy were getting ready for another day out and about. After the suspect who drove the car into theirs had been "mysteriously found" after "falling down some stars" Nick was forced onto medical leave until his arm healed back up… and people forgot that he had been a teenager within an inch of his life.

Nick was attempting to tie his tie in the mirror. It was a casual day but he enjoyed wearing his tie. It was the same shirt and tie he had worn when Judy had hustled him all that time ago. "Still the best thing to happen to me… ever" Nick said to himself, recalling the adventure of the howler case.

"What is Nicky hun?" Judy asked, rolling her new wheelchair over. It was much lighter than the previous one as it was made from super hard and light carbon fiber. She reached up, to tie it for him since he still had the cast on his right arm, swatting away his left paw. "Let me do it for you." She said stubbornly. Nick smiled lovingly at Judy as she tied and straightened his tie. She had once suspected he'd mess it up just so she would correct it… she was right.

"I was thinking about when you hustled me into helping you" Nick said, keeping his left paw to his side, and his right up and out of Judy's way. He had stooped down to give her easier access to his tie. "I think that was the best thing to ever happen to me." He said smiling roguishly at her and judy paused and blushed.

"Me too" she admitted. And she looked down at her legs. "Even this… " then she looked up at Nick and smiled lovingly. "It's still a small price to have you in my life Nicholas P Wilde. Nick misted up. He had no words to show how much he loved this bunny before him so he swooped down and picked her up in his arms and held her tightly for a minute whispering "I love you".

There was a knock at the door before anything more could be said… or done. Nick placed Judy down, carefully in her chair and walked to the door. "Coming… Who is it?" Nick called to the door, though he already knew who it was and what it was about.

"Special Delivery for one N P Wilde." The voice said. And Nick hurried to the door. When he opened it he saw the friendly face of the chubby cheetah. "I bought it as soon as it was available. He beamed with joy.

Nick smiled and said "Thanks a ton Clawhauser." and the engaged Cheetah smiled, the ring on his finger sparkled brilliantly. Nick whistled appreciatively. "Nice rock! You better half have one too?" Nick asked, happy to see his comrade so happy.

Clawhauser bounced impossibly fast and high for his size and nodded."I made sure all of the .. special modifications have been tested Nick… Judy is gonna LOVE IT!" He said between happy bounces. "Anyway my betrothed is waiting for me in the car. " Clawhauser said then bounced away, happiest Nick ever saw.

"Was that Clawhauser hun?" Judy asked as she rolled to the door.

"Yeah but he had to bounce, as it were" Nick said smiling." Dropped off something for us though" He continued and gestured for Judy to roll out before him.

"Always the gentle fox aren't you?" Judy observed, but couldn't hide her own loving smile. After what Nick had said she felt like she would never stop smiling.

"This way my darling" Nick said stepping just in front of Judy obstructing her vision. "Just over here" he said and then they entered the parking lot of the apartment building. Judy stopped, paws on her face. She had no words. Before her, with Nick gesturing as though he was a show model, was a minivan, painted police blue, with details that made it look like a kind of utility belt, with the odd carrot motif here and there. The license plate read "4Karots"

"I know the uh.. Insurance adjuster. Plus the precinct might have passed the hat around a little…"Nick said, visibly blushing.

Judy was without words. She just kept her paws on her mouth and shook her head, unable to believe what she was seeing.

"I um… had it customized so you could drive it… if you want. I can also drive it if you'd like." Nick walked over to Judy and pushed her chair to the driver's side and opened the door. He pressed a button and the driver's chair folded down into the floor and a kind of crane came out.

"You connect your chair to the crane" He said and released Judy's chair so it drifted closer. The crane, more a robotic arm, connected to her chair, manipulated something and her chair's wheels were now folded under the chair. It then lifted judy up and into the van. There were hand controls for everything. "There are still pedals, but when you are driving they are disabled. Everything is controlled by this panel. In addition it's been given a AI to help you drive via GPS to known locations. You just tell it where you are going and all you really have to do it steer. The AI takes care of the speed and stopping." Nick added, impressed by the intern who came up with the idea.

Judy looked around at the futuristic dash and then at Nick her eyes wide with absolute terror. "I.. I can't Nicholas.. what if I miss and I crash and I..I.." Her frantic eyes filling with tears until Nick walked up to her and kissed her nose.

"Car, I'm driving" He said in a clear voice. Judy found herself being moved over into the passenger side, as that chair folded down and the driver's seat unfolded and Nick hopped up and into the vehicle. He waved a second control fob and put it into a slot in the console. "It's ok Judy.. I understand. I'm here for you honey, I always will be."

Then Judy broke down completely. Overwhelmed by Nick's love while she hated herself so much as much as she tried to hide it. "WHY Do you even love me anyway Nick? I'm not a vixen , I'm not even a rabbit anymore! We can never walk along the sunset and .. an… in bed I can never…" She wailed as tears flowed between her paws like rain through a leaking roof.

Nick tried to intervene, cutting off the depression before it could take hold but he was too late by 4 weeks.

"I'm not a bunny Nick! I'll never be a real bunny ever again!" she howled between gasps of air, her tears running like broken faucets of salty pain. "I have no legs! In bunny society.. " and she could talk no more for the next couple minutes. Nick sat next to her in silence, a loving paw on her shoulder. As she leaned over to hug him, the car sensed the motion and slid the chairs together. They embraced until the heaves of emotional pain finally subsided enough for Judy to pull away a little and marvel that the chair moved as she needed.

"Is that what your parents said?" Nick asked softly, stroking her rears with his good paw. "When they came over and I was … working. Is that what they said to you carrots?" He wondered how anyone could do that to their child… but he was a police officer and he sadly knew that answer.

"….no…" Judy said after a long moment shaking her head in Nick's loving arms. "m-m-m-momm said I'll al-al-alwway hopps… daddy too" she said unable to hold back sobs. Her family had gotten a notice from 'the rabbit council' that Judy Hopps could no longer call herself a bunny, only a lapine, as they cannot deny her heritage. However SHE was no longer a bunny rabbit, only walking meat for the predators. She had been "kicked out of the pack."

"I cried almost the entire day when they told me I was kicked out of rabbit society." Judy mewled into Nick's chest. "I can no longer classify myself as a bunny."

"See?" Nick said gently, "Your parents don't give two shakes what some overblown beurocrat says." Nick continued as he pulled back a little to look Judy straight in the eyes. "And neither do I" He said sternly. "You are still the most stubborn, clever bunny I've ever seen, and NO ONE can change that!" he said definitely. Judy smiled and stopped crying.

Then Nick added. "However… Does that mean I can call you cute finally?." He asked, wiggling his eyebrows. Judy had to laugh and smiled. "There's the beautiful sunrise I know" he said as the rising sun finally lit the area the were in.

"You've been allowed for a long time hun" Judy said silkily and kissed Nick's lips.

"I think you're going to enjoy the first destination today cutie." Nick said with a smile as he started up the van and began driving off. He glanced at Judy and saw her paws digging into the side door panel. His ears weren't nearly as good as her's but he was sure he could hear her heart beating as if it wanted out of her chest.

"Carrots, are you ok?" Nick asked with some concern, keeping his eyes on the road. He was also a little nervous. This was actually the first time he'd driven since the accident. He was trying to play it calm and cool with Judy, but his own heart was making a good attempt at escape as well.

"WATCH OUT!" Judy screamed as the car stopped. A moment later Nick's paw hit the brakes, a moment after that a truck drives before them, missing the front of the vehicle by inches. Both Nick and Judy are in shock, as the car slowly drives itself off the road and onto the nearest parking lot.

Both scream and grab each other, crying. The moment bringing home that they are not nearly over their trauma. "Nick!" Judy said at the same time Nick said "Judy!"

"May I interject?" The car asked and both Nick and Judy looked at the center console as it it was possessed.

"Um.. yes car" Nick said after a moment.

"You both seem to be in need of counseling after your accident. Would you like me to continue driving to your first destination?" the car said in it's almost smooth, but still halting synthetic voice.

Nick sighed. "No it's ok, thank you car." then Judy punched hi in the arm. "Ow, what?" Nick asked defensively seeing a strange look on Judy's face.

"You can't just keep calling him car." She protested. "Um.. assuming it is a he." she said after a moment.

"I am a vehicle Miss Hopps. I have no gender." The car replied without emotion.

"Fine, let's call it Benji OK?" Nick said mildly annoyed. Judy nodded.

"I am now designated as Benji." Benji said, and Nick continued to drive, albeit even more cautiously than before. The near accident that Benji prevented making both Mammals mentally check the box 'Make shrink appointment'.

Half an hour later they arrived at their destination, the wild district junkyard, where Nick's old jalopy and the other car had been taken. Judy got shivers looking at both destroyed cars and wondered how anyone of them survived. Judy and nick slowly approached the cars. The reality of that night's crash finally something that happened. In a weird way it was just a thing until they saw and touched the actual cars themselves.

They looked at where the cars impacted. Nick and Judy looked at the treads on the wheels and other factors. Hey agreed, no matter what they would have been hit… and they were lucky even with Judy's horrible injury.

"HEY MAC" Nick finally said to no one visible. Then Judy saw him. An old junkyard dog.

"You here for what we agreed to Nick?" the old dog asked. One of his legs in a walking cast.

"You know it" Nick said in his usual upbeat way. "Just show us how to…" he was interrupted by Judy already finding her way to and into the crane. She had managed to roll up to the huge device, climbed up the ladder using only her arm strength, got into the control compartment and work into the chair. Nick's jaw was on the ground. Even in a wheelchair, Judy was one of the fastest animals he'd ever seen. He could not gauge how much he loved her anymore. She just kept breaking one expectation after another.

"I used to help dad on the farm duh!" She said out the window as she surveyed the controls and levers. "I'm guessing this moves the magnet…" she said as she began swinging around the arm holding the massive electro magnet. She'd already gathered what Nick meant to do here… and she loved him more than she had words for. She looked around the yard before asking "Where is the compactor we're using?"

The old dog just smiled admiringly at Judy in the crane then over at Nick who looked like he'd need to put an APB out for his jaw, it was so far down. Fun fact about Foxes, they can open their jaws to nearly 90 Degrees, and Nick was using ever degree in his astonishment at Judy's prowess.

The old dog laughed at Nick and pointed. "There". Little more than a minute later Judy had picked up the car that crashed into them and dropped it into the compactor. Nick knew it was impossible… but he swore that the offending car was thrown with malice into the compactor. As if Judy could somehow show her hatred and disdain for the dead Nick and the dog walked to the compactor, Judy made her way back down, into her chair and rolled over to meet them at the oversized sandwich maker. Judy stopped a few feet away from them and stared at the contraption. She knew what this meant, what it represented. And now that she was here she was unsure

"Judy.. honey... " Nick said softly. He wasn't going to force this, but he wanted her to know this was her moment as much as his, if not more. "You… you can do the honors." Nick said gesturing at the big red button used to start the compaction process. Judy rolled up and took Nick's hand.

"Together" she said, looking up at him with violet eyes that had lost so much innocence it made Nick's heart ache. He only nodded, and together, paw in paw, they pressed the button that destroyed the car that had so damaged their lives.

A couple hours later Nick and Judy were nearly to Precinct one they had decided that they wanted to work out some stress by moving and destroying the entire queue the old dog had for the compactor. When Judy and Nick arrived they were welcomed as returning heroes as Nick slowly pushed Judy's chair through the main doors.

But Just as they entered a wolf who had been held by one of the cheering officers made his way loose and ran for the door. He figured that some fox and a wheelchair bound bunny would be easy to push past. He was very wrong.

Judy immediately launched her chair towards the escaping perp catching him off guard, forcing him to run around judy where he ran straight into Nick's hardened left paw. "CRACK" went the wolf's nose, followed shortly by his head hitting the floor.

After he was carted off to the on-site infirmary before processing for additional charges, of attempted escape… and dirtying up the precinct floor with his blood.

Judy and Nick were, of course, the stars of the party, but after their little stunt at the main doors, it was about all anyone could talk about. At one point Bogo came to them to present them with their new assignments. Nick would return to active duty, but with another beat partner. He was to be training new officers who survived parking duty. Judy was to be permanently benched. She was to be in forensics and special consultation. She was promoted to detective and would also have liaison duties with school, the public, and the like.

Judy thanked Bogo for allowing them return to duty and then excused herself. Nick followed after her and found her near a familiar closet. She looked at the door to their favorite cloitus closet. Nick was about to make a joke about all the good time they had in that closet and how many more they still could when he saw Judy's eyes filled with tears.

"I'm… done Nick" she said, reality finally setting in. "I'll never be a real cop again.. My life is over!" and she reached for Nick who was there with his arms around her. Her face mashed against his chest she wailed. "OH GOD NICK!" She cried. "I just realized how much my career meant to me! And.. it's OVER!"

Of course it was far from over, and Nick understood how much good there still was for Judy Hopps to do in the world… but then he thought about his own place. He'd become a cop FOR Judy. SHE was his reason for wearing the badge.. At least initially. He'd never have her in her car again. There would be no more moments in the backseat, hidden kisses…. Nothing. And Nick too began to cry.

Judy had become his life and now they were being separated in the one aspect of their life that brought them together. She would be in the office and he'd be out there training and also in danger.. But his backup.. His Judy wouldn't be there. Nick's eyes began to join Judy's in tears.

Without really thinking, Nick and Judy entered the closet. Not for special time, but to have privacy. Home was too far away and they didn't really want to just leave. But they needed time to process this. So they slide into the closet.

When they entered they found it quite different. There was a small plaque that read "Nick and Judy Wilde Commemorative closet makeover" Their jaws dropped, their misery forgotten for the moment as they looked around. There as all kinds of …. Arrangements for coitus if one partner, the female specifically, was paralyzed. There was even a special swing.

Nick and Judy's ears began to glow red as they blushed, realizing a few things. One of which, their secret closet was far from secret, nor its purpose. And two… their friends and colleagues were wonderful, loving, sensitive animals who were all complete and total perverts!

Nick caresses the sex swing and looked at Judy suggestively. "Well… They did go to all this trouble just for us." He began and Judy finished for him, smiling and beginning to unbutton her blouse.

"Would be a shame if we didn't at least give it a try."

Some months later Judy was escorting a small class of students who were considered "High risk" to the local juvenile detention facility. To be exact it was for long term residents. That is to say a jail for those under the age of majority, whatever that was for their species. Judy was showing them the rehab options when the warden came up to Judy with a young fox in tow.

"Mrs. Wilde?" She asked Judy, who turned and smiled.

Her wedding ring shone brightly on her finger. "Yes, what is it warden?" Judy replied.

Nick had proposed the night of the party. _'If you can't be a Hopps… will you be a Wilde instead?' Nick asked on one knee. 'There is literally no bunny… no one else I want in my life until I die.' He had the ring before him with the most sincere, and serious face Judy had ever seen on the older fox._

"Mrs Wilde, this is Franklyn. He had only been with us a few months, but he has done impressive things since coming here." She said to Judy quickly, proud of her pseudo protege. She felt that Franklyn Darkshade could do even more, and positive, amazing things with himself if he continued to apply himself half as much as he had been.

"Franklyn, it's nice to meet you. I'm very happy to hear you have taken this chance at redemption and self improvement seriously." Judy said with her typical canned "good on ya" speech she often gave to prisoners who took the chance to better their lives seriously. "May I ask why are you in here?" it was a innocent enough question. The answer however wasn't.

"I'm the thoughtless jerk who ran into Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wild…" he started not thinking then looked Judy in the eyes as he spoke. Stopping mid sentence. _Suddenly it was that night almost a year ago. He was drunk, and saw the carnage he'd wrecked. The night he ran and completely destroyed his life to that point. He saw Judy's limp body on the ground next to the pole. The wreck of the car she and Nick had been in._

Judy and Franky looked at each other in shock. She didn't have any idea what he looked like. She had only read transcripts and tried her best not to read them too deeply.

He had given up his right to a trial and pled guilty to all charges. _"I should be dead"_ he'd said _"Just throw me in jail and let me rot like the scum I am!"_ was his official words from the meeting with the judge and the public defended. So they did.

It wasn't until several weeks of intense therapy that Franky was finally convinced to try to do something with his life. The end result was Judy meeting him here as the best inmate the facility had ever had.

Franky tried to throw himself to Judy's feet and beg forgiveness. "Please, kill me Judy!" He had said, shocking everyone including Judy. "Please just kill me, use my spine, take anything from me you need, please just.. Don't… " and he broke down on all four's crying the cry of the penitent. "Don't forgive me." he said in the tiniest of voices. He truly regretted his actions. He felt like he had no right to continue living. Seeing Judy, being confronted by her made all his self loathing return in full measure four fold.

Judy turned her chair. She couldn't stand to look at him. She understood, and even WANTED to forgive him. But… she was still grieving her loss of her legs, of what made her a rabbit. Even though she loved Nick with all her heart and didn't hold one iota of regret in marrying him. She also knew there was a tiny part of that was so she'd have an identity again. She was no longer a Hopps.. But she WAS a wilde.

"If you truly mean those words…" Judy finally said. Her back to the lamenting Franky who immediately went silent to hear his victim's final words. "Then you will continue to be the best mammal you can possibly be." she said coldly. She could not muster any warmth or encouragement. "This is your last chance Franky… make the best of it. Become… anything." she then rolled away, tears streaming down her cheeks as she heard a heartfelt "THANK YOU" screamed from Franky, as he broke down into tears again.

The Next morning Judy hadn't been feeling well the last few days. She had a suspicion but, well it was really just a vain hope.

"Judy Honey have you seen my green tie?" Nick asked as he walked into the Bathroom. Judy's eyes were fixed on something, then Nick looked, and his eyes became transfixed.

Life doesn't stop because you run into a wall. Try everything… after all something is bound to work out.


End file.
